Search

Income and Work

Minnesota has one of the highest rates of labor force participation in the country, but that doesn’t mean that all Minnesotans are able to make ends meet. We research economic trends to understand who’s faring well in today’s economy, and who is left behind. We advocate for economic policies, particularly those that improve wages and job quality standards, so that more Minnesotans can thrive.

Research

August 2020

New data show COVID is amplifying hardships for low-income people and folks of color

New data from the Census Bureau illustrates the staggering increase in hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and burgeoning economic recession. And the burden falls particularly on people of color, who benefitted the least from the economic boom times and today can least absorb the blow.

Read More
August 2020

Recession responses that do not center Minnesotans of color likely to widen racial disparities

Policy responses to the Great Recession were insufficient in magnitude and length to mitigate racial disparities, and in fact some disparities were made worse. Policymakers must prioritize racial equity in their responses to the current economic downturn and COVID pandemic, to ensure all our communities, whether Black, Brown, or white, can thrive and are resilient in weathering these crises.

Read More
June 2020

State of Working Minnesota: Low-income people and people of color working hard but struggle to thrive

Minnesotans believe that hard work should pay off, that people who work full time should be able to support their families, and that everyone should have the opportunity to succeed. But slow wage growth and growing income inequality contradicts some of our country’s most deeply held values.

Read More
December 2018

Minnesotans face barriers in the labor market, despite top line unemployment numbers

Minnesota's low unemployment rate and high labor force participation are two indicators of where Minnesota's economy is doing well. However, these numbers hide the fact that Minnesotans across the state are still struggling to get ahead even in the economic recovery.

Read More

Income and Work Blog Posts

November 09, 2022

Minnesota college students increasingly facing basic economic, mental health challenges

Minnesota should prioritize funding basic needs programs and mental health services so that every college student can succeed regardless of their income or where they live.

Read More
October 31, 2022

Today’s high inflation highlights longer-term trend of wages not keeping up with cost of living

Into a third year of a global pandemic, many workers are struggling amidst steep inflation, and not all workers have benefitted from an improving labor market, particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) workers.

Read More
July 28, 2022

Roe reversal strips basic decision-making, economic security from millions of people

Currently abortions are legal and protected in Minnesota under the state’s constitution. But many people across the country, including in our neighboring states, cannot access their full reproductive and health care rights or may have to travel and undergo significant costs and strains to do so.

Read More
May 19, 2022

Minnesota Legislature passes bill on Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, frontline worker payments

After months of negotiation, the Minnesota Legislature recently passed legislation that addressed three major issues of ...

Read More

More Income & Work Blogs

Highlighted Research

workers

State of Working Minnesota: Barriers Keep Many from Making Ends Meet

Despite Minnesota's economic recovery from the Great Recession, many Minnesotans have not seen the wage growth we would expect nearly a decade later. And many people still face barriers to finding good jobs and supporting themselves and their families, according to analysis from the Economic Policy Institute. Our State of Working Minnesota report digs deeper into the data.

Issues

Current Agenda

Health Care

Minnesota Taxes

Child Care

Minnesota Budget

Income and Work

Immigration

Federal Issues

Contact Us Get Connected MCN Home